I remember an episode from the British sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf, where a female character purringly offers a male character one of the greatest post-coital back-handed compliments I’ve ever heard….
“…you make love….like a Japanese meal.
Small portions.
But so many courses….”.
In this spirit, tonight’s blog consists of various Japanese-influenced yet unavoidably Anglicised dishes, given that even laying hands on some miso paste required a Viking-style ransack of half of Tangleton town centre. Japanese egg-plants, mirin, kombu, shaoxing wine, thai basil, woodear mushrooms and other such delicacies – no chance.
However, I kid myself that I rose to the occasion with what I could scrounge, hope you enjoy these as much as I have.
(Please note that I was indeed cooking small portions of each dish, so scale up if you’re looking to make any particular one into a full meal).
First up, the soup course. Original from here…..
Noodle, Cabbage and Mushroom soup with Mushroom Broth
One large flat mushroom and two large chestnut mushrooms, washed and chopped into chunksTwo spring onions, skinned and sliced widthways
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 small yellow onion, sliced into chunks
Cup water Small amount dry white wine
Dark soy sauce
Vegetable oil Small handful of savoy cabbage, sliced into ribbons Small handful pre-fried tofu chunks (I just fried these in veg oil until golden then drained on paper towel) Fragments of dried rice or egg noodles
Heat the water in a pan, and add the onion, garlic, half the spring onion, the flat mushroom and one of the chestnut mushrooms, plus a dash of soy sauce.
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
Sieve out the boiled veg, and decant the mushroom stock into a bowl. Add a little white wine or dry sherry.
Boil water, and add the noodles, cook till soft. Add the tofu to warm through.
Heat a little vegetable oil in a wok, and add the other chestnut mushroom. Fry until golden, season with salt, and set aside.
Fry the cabbage likewise, just until a few brown spots appear.
Place the mushroom and cabbage in a bowl, pour over the broth, and add the noodles and tofu. Sprinkle the rest of the spring onion over the top.
